Tai Fu
02-07-2014, 11:19 AM
I need help redesigning this lower guide... just ideas and stuff. I will need to draw something up on a CAD software.
This is the original guide:
281874281875281876
I need to redesign them so that it is easier to use and provides better support for wider blades (the guide as is can't support anything bigger than a 1/2" blade while the upper guide can support a full 1" blade). Also where the slot is there is supposed to be a M6 hex bolt that you are supposed to loosen in order to move the lower guide back and forward, however in the saw the trunnion make the space extremely tight and it isn't possible to move a wrench in there at all. I replaced it with an allen bolt but it still doesn't solve anything, because the thrust bearing bar gets in the way making any real adjustment impossible.
What I would like to do is somehow turn the guide over 90 degrees, but only the lower portion. I can then mount a wingnut so adjustment can be easily done. However the problem is I cannot make the guide any larger than the existing one, because there is about 3" of clearance between the table and the frame, and the angle is there so the table can actually tilt. I think the guide block could possibly be replaced with bearing guides.
I can lose the lower mounting plate and integrate it into the whole guide unit, this would add about 3/8" of space (it does not seem like much but it makes a huge difference).
Any ideas?
Please note I'm not asking if I can modify the existing guide. I will not do anything to the existing guide but I want to engineer a new guide for the bandsaw that fits that frame/table configuration, that is much easier to use and does a better job of being a guide. If this works, I might be able to move onto the upper guide and see if I can squeeze out a couple of inches of resaw height...
This is the original guide:
281874281875281876
I need to redesign them so that it is easier to use and provides better support for wider blades (the guide as is can't support anything bigger than a 1/2" blade while the upper guide can support a full 1" blade). Also where the slot is there is supposed to be a M6 hex bolt that you are supposed to loosen in order to move the lower guide back and forward, however in the saw the trunnion make the space extremely tight and it isn't possible to move a wrench in there at all. I replaced it with an allen bolt but it still doesn't solve anything, because the thrust bearing bar gets in the way making any real adjustment impossible.
What I would like to do is somehow turn the guide over 90 degrees, but only the lower portion. I can then mount a wingnut so adjustment can be easily done. However the problem is I cannot make the guide any larger than the existing one, because there is about 3" of clearance between the table and the frame, and the angle is there so the table can actually tilt. I think the guide block could possibly be replaced with bearing guides.
I can lose the lower mounting plate and integrate it into the whole guide unit, this would add about 3/8" of space (it does not seem like much but it makes a huge difference).
Any ideas?
Please note I'm not asking if I can modify the existing guide. I will not do anything to the existing guide but I want to engineer a new guide for the bandsaw that fits that frame/table configuration, that is much easier to use and does a better job of being a guide. If this works, I might be able to move onto the upper guide and see if I can squeeze out a couple of inches of resaw height...